One nervous flyer (and transplant patient) makes it a mission to visit the Japan Rugby World Cup 2019 and record his journey.

I intend the travel to Japan via the Trans Siberian Express with 3 core aims in my mind… – Firstly to inspire transplant and diabetic patients both here in the UK and Japan,and show them anything as possible. As someone who has kidney and diabetes issues since the age of 25, I’ve been greatly inspired…

Were you lucky enough to get tickets in the recent scramble for Rugby World Cup tickets? Organsiers are warning that tickets are now becoming very tricky to get, as the World Cup heads towards sell-out status. “While there is still reasonable availability for certain pool matches, tickets for the most popular matches remain extremely limited….

So…it’s almost upon us. The Autumn series is now history, Christmas has passed and now all focus is on the of the 6 Nations and probably one of the most thrilling opening matches in the last few years, namely Ireland vs England. Both teams flying high in the world rankings face off in the opening…

Came across this video on YouTube with Stephen Fry describing rugby as the most “exciting games ever devised”. Known for his love of cricket and Norwich City, he’s also a fan of the oval ball at International level. I would agree with him on his desire to see more exciting back play…however this video was…

I am a huge admirer of the current Sprinbok team and feel something special could happen for this emerging team in the Rugby World Cup in Japan. Packed with world class players, the South African team are probably 4 or 5th favourites to lift the William Webb Ellis Trophy, but should they be taken more…

Over Christmas I spent some time planning my trip to Tokyo and decided it would be great to share with you my top 5 things to do in Tokyo, and invite you to share with me some essential visitor attractions that didn’t make my shortlist. 1 – Sensō-ji temple I love meditation, so one of the…

After a few months of weighing up my options for accommodation in Japan, I’ve finally opted for a home-stay venue. As you might have read, I was looking into a pod hotel…but the lure of staying with a Japanese family was too much and I’ve booked to stay with Yuko and Michael in Tobitakyu, a…

49 seconds…that’s how long it took for rookie Alex Dombrandt to stamp his mark on Big Game 11, as Harlequins took on Wasps at Twickenham in a decisive match for both teams looking for a top 6 finish this season. Scoring the quickest try of the season and setting up the win for Quins, the…

Whether you are reading this alone on Christmas morning, catching it as a quick email update or sat exhausted on the sofa after a large lunch…I just wanted to wish everyone a happy Christmas and I hope you all have a healthy, successful and peaceful new year. Almost 2019…bring it on!

Every Christmas, an estimated 3.6 million Japanese families get their holiday meal from none other than Kentucky Fried Chicken. While I’m tucking into a Norfolk Turkey or a rib of British Beef with Yorkshire puddings, roast spuds, parsnips and carrots…the Japanese love nothing more that a bucket of KFC. Bonkers? Yes..however the more I read about…

The holiday season in Japan seems to be celebrated the exact opposite way as it is in western countries. Did you know Christmas Eve in Japan is the most romantic day of the year. It’s the Japanese version of Valentine’s Day. Reading up on the topic, it seems Japanese couples, especially the youngest, book dinners at…

I’m currently looking at which courses to book to overcome my fear of flying, however tonight I decided to check out a couple of free fearless flying talks, which come at the topic in different directions however both contain excellent content which have helped me and might help you. Firstly I listened to Les Possen,…

Congratulations to Kobe Kobelco Steelers who have won the Top League final in Japan. Suntory Sungoliath were thumped 55-5 by Dan Carter’s Steelers at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. It certainly had a battle of champs about the match, as Carter lined up opposite old foe Matt Giteau at 10, in what looked like…

I like a little flutter on a big sporting event and in my book the 2019 Rugby World Cup offers a perfect opportunity to review the form and put down a few quid on a couple of outsiders. I had a look at Bet365.com and it was interesting to see who the UK’s leading betting…

Tickets now booked – TICK Fearless flyer course – booking shortly…. Accommodation – ……looks like a pod hotel! Tokyo is one of the worlds most expensive cities to live in or visit, so for my trip to the RWC2019 I’m weighing up three types of accommodation for best value mixed with enjoying the culture. Airbnb…

I’ve been doing some research on Yokohama, where England will play their final match of the pool group for the Japan Rugby World Cup against its oldest enemy France on October 12th. I hope to spend possibly Thursday, but almost certainly Friday and Saturday in Yokohama, with the Sunday being the day I fly back. …

A few years ago I watched a young Kyle Sinckler pull on an England shirt for the first time against the Baa-Baas at Twickenham. At the time I was hearing whispers about the potential of this young player from Quins who had the potential to be the rock the England scrum would be built around….

As someone who has diabetes, arthritis and a kidney transplant, long distance travel is something I worry about. I’m worried on so many levels, from carrying the correct medication, what happens if something happens, where is the nearest consultant, how will I cope with a arthritis flare abroad on my own, stress affecting my kidney…

One of the mysteries of the 2015 Rugby World Cup was the inclusion of Sam Burgess in the England team. A player of remarkable talent in Rugby League, he was fast tracked at Bath and with England with one aim in mind…making the difference at the the 2015 RWC. As Sam has acknowledged, although the…

Cornflakes never tasted so good… Sitting at the breakfast table I heard the phone ping this morning. Normally its a recruitment agency job alert (which I keep meaning to unsubscribe from) or Vodafone trying to upgrade my phone package. Today was a something totally different. Through my early morning glazed eyes I saw in the…

In Monaco this week Ireland won the triple crown, not on the field, but at the World Rugby Awards, winning the Team, Player (Johnny Sexton) and Coach (Joe Schmidt) of the Year awards. A fantastic achievement and truly deserved. As a scrum half, I personally would of loved to see Faf De Klerk win the…

In lives in the memories of every rugby fan who watched the match or saw the highlights, now the epic match between Japan and South Africa in the 2015 World Cup is set to be made into a film. Temuera Morrison is set to play Eddie Jones, the Aussie coach who was in charge of…

Rugby is a universal game, however its wonderful to see how individual countries put their own twist on the sport. The French flair, Irish true grit, Samoan pride, Fiji running it from deep and England…well, that’s a hard one to nail. With the forthcoming Japan Rugby World Cup in 2019 their promotional video offered a…

It’s been a while (again) since I last updated my blog. Why some might ask? Well, I’ve had a few setbacks, but I’ve wised up, had a good talking to myself, refocused and reignited my passion. No surrender. So…what’s happened….. – I’ve entered in the 3rd, yes the 3rd ballot for tickets. I’ll hear back…

So its been a while since I last blogged about the potential trip…so here’s the update. Good news! I’ve changed jobs (hooray!). Loving my new PR and Marketing role. I applied for tickets for the rugby world cup in Japan and was successful!!! Bad news.. The tickets I secured for the world cup were only…

So, the email popped into my email account…”Book your tickets NOW”. I’ve entered the next ballot for tickets to the Rugby World Cup 2019 and if successful the trip and everything that’s involved is a GO…however I still have to wait to find out if I’ve been successful. I’ve booked tickets for all of the…

Russia have qualified for next year’s Rugby World Cup after Spain, Belgium and Romania were sanctioned for fielding ineligible players. Spain had hoped for a reprieve after an investigation into their defeat by Belgium, which meant Romania qualified. But the panel ruled that all three countries broke eligibility rules and have been deducted points and some serious fines…